Originally written as incidental music, it did not have words when it was adopted as the National Anthem of the Philippines and subsequently played during the proclamation of Philippine independence on June 12, 1898. During the American occupation of the Philippines, the colonial government banned the song from being played with the passage of the Flag Law.[1] The law was repealed in 1919 and the song was translated into English and would be legalized as the "Philippine Hymn". The anthem was translated into Tagalog beginning in the 1940s. A 1956 Pilipino (standardised Tagalog) version, revised in the 1960s, serves as the present anthem.

Lupang Hinirang in Filipino or Tagalog means "Chosen Land" in English. Some English sources erroneously translate Lupang Hinirang as "Beloved Land" or "Beloved Country";[2][3] however, "Beloved Land" is a translation of the first line of Filipinas, which would be Tiérra adorada, and "Beloved Country" is likewise a translation of the first line of the current version of the anthem, which would be Bayang Magiliw. The anthem is also colloquially known as Bayang Magiliw.

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Historical Background

The Lupang Hinirang began as an instrumental march which Emilio Aguinaldo commissioned for use in the proclamation of Philippine independence from Spain. This task was given to Julián Felipe and was to replace a march which Aguinaldo did not find to be satisfactory. The title of the new march was Marcha Filipina Magdalo ("Magdalo Philippine March") and was later changed to Marcha Nacional Filipina ("Philippine National March") upon its adoption as the national anthem of the First Philippine Republic on June 11, 1898, a day before the date when Philippine independence was to be proclaimed. It was played by the San Francisco de Malabon marching band during the proclamation on June 12, 1898.

In August 1899, José Palma wrote the poem Filipinas in Spanish. The poem was published for the first time in the newspaper La Independencia on September 3, 1899. It was subsequently adpoted as the lyrics to the anthem.[4][5]